Dr. Jacob Swett serves as Executive Director and founder of Blueprint Biosecurity, a nonprofit dedicated to achieving breakthroughs in humanity’s ability to suppress pathogens. Drawing from a diverse background spanning scientific research, technology R&D, and political strategy, he is considered a leading voice in the biosecurity community.

Jake founded Blueprint directly after his experience shaping the Apollo Program for Biodefense, a report published in the wake of COVID-19 by the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense. Anchored by Jake’s guidance, the report laid out an ambitious plan for overhauling America’s layers of defense against pandemics. Blueprint was founded to continue this work in the US and abroad.

Jake received a PhD in nanotechnology from the University of Oxford and bachelor’s degrees in physics and applied mathematics from Missouri State University. Before Blueprint, he cofounded a research nonprofit called altLabs and was a research scientist at Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center and a biosecurity advisor to Open Philanthropy. He has contributed to over 70 articles and patents and authored op-eds for the New York Times and STAT.

Siobhan Brenton is the Chief Operating Officer at Blueprint Biosecurity, where she oversees the organization’s business operations, HR, finance, communications, and stakeholder development. Siobhan brings over seven years of operational experience across project management, strategic development, finance, and grantmaking logistics. In her most recent role leading operations at Rethink Charity, Siobhan spearheaded the development of their fiscal sponsorship program to provide operational support to new initiatives while they focus on their core missions. She has a passion for implementing solutions to complex problems and has helped launch multiple charities in the US and Canada.

Siobhan received a bachelor’s degree in nutritional biochemistry from Memorial University of Newfoundland and a Master of International Public Health degree from the University of New South Wales.

Richard Williamson is Chief Technology Officer at Blueprint Biosecurity, where he oversees strategic frameworks and research programs that evaluate and advance tools for preventing future pandemics.

He brings over a decade of leadership experience across strategy consulting, finance, strategic sourcing, and operational supply chains. Witnessing firsthand the disruption of Covid-19, Richard redirected his private-sector expertise toward biosecurity and pandemic preparedness. Prior to joining Blueprint, he was Head of Technical Operations at Alvea, a biotech startup, where he also served on the R&D leadership team. Earlier in his career, Richard led strategic sourcing teams at two of the UK’s largest supermarkets, diving deep into complex value chains and re-engineering supply chains for greater efficiency.

He holds a bachelor’s degree with first-class honors in philosophy, politics, and economics from the University of Oxford. 

Adam Goff serves as a Senior Advisor at Blueprint Biosecurity, where he leads our PPE team’s policy advocacy work. He comes to Blueprint with a decade of experience advancing technologies that improve the resiliency of humanity.

Before Blueprint Biosecurity, Adam was the senior vice president of strategy at 8 Rivers, a firm which invents and commercializes sustainable infrastructure technology, including clean power, clean hydrogen, and carbon removal. He also was previously the chief of staff at ClearPath Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to reduce global energy emissions by accelerating American innovation.

Adam has an environmental studies degree from Yale University. He is based in Washington, D.C.

Steve Martin is a Senior Researcher at Blueprint Biosecurity, where he studies a wide range of emerging and innovative methods to prevent pandemics. He retired from the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service after 28+ years with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Steve worked on laboratory and field-based projects related to respirator filter and unit performance, ventilation systems and other engineering controls, environmental tractor cab filter performance and cab integrity testing, improving indoor air quality, and air/surface disinfection with germicidal ultraviolet.

Steve co-led CDC’s ventilation team during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was involved with CDC/NIOSH emergency responses to the 2001 anthrax attacks, the original Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in Asia, hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the BP oil spill, and preparing U.S. hospitals to receive Ebola patients during outbreaks in western Africa. He also led several tuberculosis outbreak investigations and prevention studies in jails, prisons, and homeless shelters. Steve led the Filtration and Disinfection Team of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force formed early in the COVID-19 pandemic to provide critical ventilation guidance. He currently leads the Air Cleaning Working Group for ASHRAE Standard 241: Control of Infectious Aerosols. He is an original member and past chair of the ASHRAE Technical Committee on Ultraviolet Air and Surface Disinfection (TC 2.9).

Steve received his PhD in Architectural Engineering (mechanical systems focus) from The Pennsylvania State University. He holds a MS degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Delaware and a BS in Chemical Engineering from West Virginia University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of West Virginia.

Darryl Angel is a Researcher at Blueprint Biosecurity, where she guides the investigation and strategic implementation of promising technologies to mitigate future pandemics.

Prior to joining Blueprint Biosecurity, Darryl spent the past decade conducting research in environmental microbiology laboratories within the academic sector, managing and executing projects both independently and in collaborative efforts across scientific, engineering, and healthcare disciplines. Her previous work has focused on antimony-driven biogeochemical cycles as well as the detection and mitigation of airborne viruses in the built environment. Most recently, she co-led a project evaluating the susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 aerosols to far-UVC–driven inactivation while serving as a graduate researcher at Yale University. Darryl is passionate about advancing impactful technological investigations and roadmaps that strengthen society’s preparedness against biosecurity threats.

Darryl holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from Yale University, as well as a B.S. in Environmental Science and a B.A. in Geography: Computer Applications in Human-Environmental Analysis from Binghamton University.

Victoria Slaughter is the PPE Director at Blueprint Biosecurity, where she works to develop and implement strategies that improve the availability of robust and innovative personal protective equipment to prevent and mitigate future pandemics.

Victoria is a cell and molecular biologist by training and has more than six years of experience as an R&D scientist, focusing on using biotechnology to improve human health and animal wellbeing. Previously, she worked to develop in vitro human-on-a-chip models to support precision medicine and reduce animal testing, specifically focused on metabolic disease. Most recently, she has led Upstream Development work at Biomilq, a startup aiming to produce components of human breast milk outside the body to improve infant nutrition options and lower the environmental burden of infant formula. Her experience with emerging technologies has led her to prioritize biosecurity and work to respond to the threat of novel pandemics.

Victoria has a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Central Florida.

Steve Trambert is the Deputy Director of Blueprint Biosecurity’s PPE program, which works to advance the understanding, usage, and stockpiling of PPE capable of offering protection from future pandemics. He serves as lead engineer for the development of PPE manufacturing strategies.

Steve brings a decade of experience in mechanical engineering and supply chain management, with a focus on bringing wearable devices out of the prototype phase and into production. He’s managed mechanical design and manufacturing strategy at two hardware startups, and previously helped engineer new types of full-color 3D printing technologies at 3D Systems.

Steve received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of Rochester.

Brian Renda is the Director for the far-UVC program at Blueprint Biosecurity, a five-year effort to build the evidence, tools, and partnerships needed for the safe, large-scale deployment of far-UVC light to curb airborne disease transmission.

Prior to joining Blueprint, Brian spent nine years working across a number of technical and commercial roles at Ginkgo Bioworks in Boston, MA. These positions included serving as Director of Corporate Development, where he led and closed multi-million-dollar M&A and other transactions across the industrial biotech, biopharma, AI, and ag-biologics spaces. During his tenure at Ginkgo, Brian also held roles in strategy, product management, biosecurity, alliance management, and as a bench scientist. Brian is also an active member of the biosecurity community and a member of the 2019 Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiative (ELBI) class.

Brian holds a PhD in Cell & Molecular Biology from the University of Texas at Austin.

James Montavon is the Deputy Director for the Far-UVC program at Blueprint Biosecurity, where he works to accelerate the development and adoption of far-UVC light as a scalable tool for reducing global endemic and pandemic risk. He is a lead contributor to the Far-UVC Blueprint, which outlines the current state of the field and key steps needed to scale far-UVC safely and effectively to reduce airborne disease transmission.

James previously served as a specialist on Colorado’s Communicable Disease Training Team, where he developed and delivered training on high-consequence pathogens including measles, viral hemorrhagic fevers, and avian influenza. His past experience spans wastewater pathogen monitoring, infectious disease modeling, contact tracing, and university biosafety. Earlier in his career, James worked in judgment and decision-making psychology and served in the United States Marine Corps.

James holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Master of Public Health in epidemiology from the Colorado School of Public Health.

Sabah Ghulamali is the Government Affairs Director at Blueprint Biosecurity, bringing a decade of public health and biosecurity policy experience. She was previously a Senior Advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services, covering policies related to biosecurity and biosafety, biomedical research and development, public health, and more. Prior to that, Sabah was a professional staffer on the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee, focusing on legislative authorities for CDC, ASPR, NIH, and ARPA-H. During her tenure on HELP, Sabah worked on multiple significant pieces of bipartisan legislation, including the PREVENT Pandemics Act, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Response Act, and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. Prior to her time on the Hill, Sabah was at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, crafting policy solutions for issues ranging from infectious disease outbreaks to high-consequence pathogens to the opioid overdose epidemic. 

Sabah received a bachelor’s degree in gender studies from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Master of Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.

Carolyn McCoy is a Senior Policy Analyst and provides strategic support to the government affairs work of Blueprint Biosecurity, bringing  over two decades of  experience in public health policy, advocacy, and emergency preparedness. She brings extensive expertise in stakeholder engagement, federal government relations, and strategic consulting across the public health and biomedical sectors.

Most recently, Carolyn served as Director of External Affairs at the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she established leadership in stakeholder engagement and served as ASPR’s primary liaison to public health partners and government agencies. Prior to federal service, she founded Sail Upstream, LLC, providing strategic consulting for clients in the public health and biomedical arenas.

Carolyn spent six years as Senior Director of Federal Government Relations at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), where she successfully secured billions of dollars in COVID-19 funding for state and territorial health departments. She has also held senior policy positions at the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs and the National Association of County and City Health Officials. During the H1N1 pandemic, she served as an Emergency Operations Officer at the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, overseeing resource mobilization for member countries in the Emergency Operations Center.

Carolyn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master of Public Health from UCLA. She serves on the Board of Directors for La Clínica del Pueblo and is based in Washington, D.C.

Madison Walter-Garcia is a Senior Policy Analyst at Blueprint Biosecurity, where she provides strategic support and expertise in government affairs and external engagement. She brings more than a decade of experience in public health policy, stakeholder engagement, and communications.

Most recently, Madison served as Associate Director for Partnerships in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, where she strengthened relationships with key strategic partners and advanced cross-sector collaborations to support national public health initiatives. Previously, she was the Partnerships Lead for CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force and a Policy Analyst in the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. She also served as a policy and communications specialist in CDC’s Division of Global Health Protection, focusing on global health security.

Madison holds dual B.A. and B.S. degrees in biology, history, and sociology with a concentration in medical humanities from Wofford College, as well as a Master of Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.

Aman Patel is the Special Projects Lead at Blueprint Biosecurity, where he helps the team explore promising interventions in transmission suppression. He was previously the Deputy Director on Blueprint Bio’s PPE team, helping to implement strategies to improve innovation, supply, and adoption of infectious disease personal protective equipment.

His past experience includes designing policy incentives for stockpiling innovative PPE, researching cost-effective biosurveillance techniques, and analyzing how the US government can drive innovation in pandemic preparedness technologies. He has also previously published research on bioethics and climate biogeochemistry.

Aman has a bachelor’s degree in computational neuroscience from the University of Southern California.

Lesley Marling is the Senior Operations Manager at Blueprint Biosecurity, with over a decade of experience building systems that help mission-driven teams thrive. She has led hiring, developed inclusive people practices, and created day-to-day operations that keep things running smoothly. Before joining Blueprint, she supported staff and streamlined operations as Vice President at ComplianceDashboard. She has also held administrative and operations roles at Mission Asset Fund, Academy for Precision Learning, and Rapha International. Lesley is passionate about creating environments where people feel valued and supported to do their best work.

Lesley received a Bachelor’s in Sociology from Missouri Southern State University and a Masters of Public Administration, Non-profit Management from Indiana University.

Rocky Schwartz is the Executive Assistant to the Executive Director at Blueprint Biosecurity, where she helps the leadership team de-bottleneck tasks, advance programmatic and organizational goals, and maintain effective systems.

Prior to this, she was Co-Director of Effective Altruism NYC, where she led the organization’s professionalization, incorporation as a New York nonprofit, and substantial expansion of its programs and community outreach. 

Over more than a decade in social-impact roles, Rocky has focused on nonprofit leadership, capacity-building, and philanthropic advising, helping to grow several early-stage charities and impact funds. Her earlier advocacy work in animal welfare first sparked her interest in nonprofit leadership, and she remains active as a mentor to emerging community organizers.

Rocky holds a B.A. in Science, Technology & Society from Vassar College.

Alice Fine is the Operations and Events Associate at Blueprint Biosecurity, where she provides administrative support across the organization and oversees event planning and execution.

Previously, Alice was part of the People Operations team at Mercy For Animals, helping to create and maintain a supportive and rewarding work environment while ensuring compliance across two countries and numerous states. Throughout her work, Alice has focused on creating innovative and thorough policies and procedures that are sensitive to the needs and priorities of the team.

Alice received a bachelor’s degree in advocacy and social change from the Loyola University Chicago School of Communication.